BHANDARA: Eight persons were killed in a blast at an ordnance factory in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district this morning, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.
“As per preliminary information, eight persons were killed and seven injured in the blast,” Gadkari told reporters.
While the minister put the death toll at eight, District Collector Sanjay Kolte said so far four bodies had been retrieved and five injured persons rescued. The rescue operation was on for four or five persons still trapped under the debris, he said.
The blast took place around 10.30 am at the factory located at Jawahar Nagar, officials said. It led to a fire and subsequent building collapse. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was deployed immediately for the rescue operation.
Specialised equipment was being used for the rescue operation and efforts were on to ensure the safety of all involved, said a statement issued by the NDRF.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident. All efforts were being made to provide assistance to the affected people, he said on X.
“Deeply saddened to know about the blast at an ordnance factory at Bhandara, Maharashtra. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said on X.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said 13 or 14 workers were stuck at the site. According to the police and the district authorities, the explosion occurred in the “LTP section”. According to Kolte, 13 or 14 people were working at the time of the incident.